Mom just hatched 2 babies, can I add more?

[nanryk]

I have a small (4) flock of 1 year old black australorps, 1 rooster & 3 hens. Well momma got broody on only 2 eggs but we let her do her thing, low & behold 2 baby chicks were out & about today. She has been an excellent mother so far as is the rest of the flock. Chicks are eating & drinking and appear very heal;thy & active. We decided since we have enough room and the flock is small and well natured we are letting them grow up with the flock, we are not separating them. My question is can I add more chicks? I can get some 1-3 day old chicks from a reputable source. I am aware that the best time to do this is at night but do you think she will accept more even though she was only sitting on 2 eggs the whole time? We were hoping and prepared for her to have babies but didnt think they would really hatch. We have raised many baby chicks before but never naturally, with the mother hen. Thank you for your time.

 

[sourland]

If you try to foster chicks under her, make sure that they are the same color as the chicks that she already has. She has already bonded with those two, and chicks of a different color might be regarded as a threat. I would give it a try, but have an alternate plan if for some reason she rejects the new chicks. Good luck - most hens accept new chicks quite readily if done immediately after theirs have hatched.

 

[nanryk]

Thanks for the quick response, if the chicks are 2 days old and I add more tomorrow night do you think that might be too long of a time period for her? She is very very good and protective of her babies. But the downfall is I dont know if I can get the same color as the others???

 

[sourland]

Best results are when she wakes up and finds the whole lot of chicks under her early in the morning without previously having bonded to any of them. She is already bonded with these two and possibly might reject others if she is able to differentiate them from 'her' chicks. A lot depends upon the temperment of the individual hen. Some hens (silkies and cochins in particular) are very accepting of all chicks others in my experience (such as games) know which chicks are theirs and reject all others. I once had a hen who raised all black chicks in her first brood. Her second lot contained some white and red chicks in addition to many black chicks. If I had not removed them, she would have killed the 'off' chicks - she was the exception to fostering in a negative fashion.

 

[nanryk]

I have back up plan for the chicks if she rejects them, so tomorrow if I can find some that are the same color (might have a lead on some barred rock pellets) I will try to scoot them under her at night. Thanks for the info.

 

[sourland]

Let us know how things work out - once again, good luck.

 

[Bilal Ahmad]

I think if she is a good momma then she would accept the chicks
Good Luck

 

[arcy liger]

Go on for it
when my hen got broody she hatched 5chicks and was of the nest that night i added 7 more chicks and she accepted them
when you add chicks add broken shells (full half) in front of her so that she thinks that they are hatched in the night

GOOD LUCK

 

[arcy liger]

dont think of the colour just add them at night and chek them at dawn

 

[golden campine]

My sister used to take fertile eggs from nonbroody hens and put them with a broody hen.Im not sure about hached chiks though but likethe others said give it a shot.im not really a chiken expert

goodluck